It's Time to Get Ready for Summer

Ultimate Summer Camping Kit

The Ultimate Camping Kit

It’s Time to Get Ready for Summer

Hello again! Winter has finally gone and we must prepare our bodies for summer by ensuring we have the right products to hand to protect ourselves.

Let’s Start with Sunscreens

Not all sunscreens are equal.

Sunscreens in general, as well as the specific ingredients used in the production of them, have been the subject of a lot of discussion and controversy over the last decade. While it’s generally agreed upon that chemical sunscreens have short-term as well as long-term health risks, more companies are utilizing mineral ingredients in their sunscreen formulations.

While most sunscreens claim to use either mineral barriers or chemical barriers in their formulations, seeing the words “Mineral Ingredients” on a label is not an automatic indicator of its efficacy or safety. Even sunscreens that boast their use of “Natural Mineral Ingredients” on their label will more often than not use harmful chemicals in conjunction with those minerals in the interest of either boosting their SPF or lengthening the formulations shelf life.

Things to Consider

When selecting a sunscreen that’s right for you and your family, it’s important to consider the following:

Please read this report:

-Typically, sunscreens on the market currently use 1 method of filtration of UV rays: Chemical and Mineral. They are vastly different from one another, and generally, mineral sunscreens are considered the safer option.( https://link.springer.com/article/

Please do your research before you purchase.

Citronella Oil: Repel Insects, Pain & Stress!

As a concentrated form of antioxidants and phytochemicals taken from the plant’s stems and leave10.1007/s11051-007-9245-3 )s, citronella oil has been used for centuries in China, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to help decrease rashes, inflammation — the root of most diseases — infections, pain and other health conditions. 

Citronella oil comes from the Asian grass plant known asCymbopogon nardus.

 It’s most commonly used as a natural fragrant oil, in insect repellents, as well as in beauty, household and perfume products.

Citronella has been registered as a gentle, plant-based insect repellent in the United States since 1948. It has even been shown to repel dangerous Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are capable of spreading “dengue fever.”

It’s also effective for helping to prevent body lice, head lice, and flies.

According to some research, you need to re-apply citronella oil about every 30–60 minutes for its bug-repelling effects to last. You can combine several drops of a carrier oil with it and spread it on your body like lotion, or add some to a spray bottle with water and cover your skin, hair, and clothes. Applying pure citronella oil directly to the body is considered more effective for fighting bugs than citronella candles are.

Instead of using conventional recipes and showering your body with harmful chemicals, try this home-made bug spray recipe. In addition to keeping away bugs, it also helps kill bacteria and nourish your skin. And unlike conventional brands, it smells amazing!

Total Time: 2 minutes

Serves: 30

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup witch hazel
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 40 drops mixed essential oils (citronella, eucalyptus, lemongrass, tea tree or rosemary)
• glass spray bottle

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients in eight-ounce spray bottle. Spray over all portions of the body, but avoid repellent in eyes and mouth.

Lip Balms

Lip Balms are extremely important during the hot summer months to stop your luscious lips becoming dry. I posted an article in January 2018 all about making your own lip balms. Lip balms

For those of you with very busy lives you may not have time to make your own lip balms and then it becomes too easy to pick up a less than natural one.

I now purchase my all natural lips balms online HERE

They have a variety of flavours to suit everyone all made with pure organic essential oils.

Now you are protected, enjoy the summer sunshine.

Judith Atkinson